Linked to being interested in trading up to No. 1 overall, the Giants may see such a path blocked off thanks to the Titans’ increased interest in Cam Ward. As the Titans schedule another meeting with the Miami quarterback, other teams may need to come to grips with the possibility last year’s No. 4 Heisman finisher will not be available.
The Giants continue to wait on Aaron Rodgers, but as of Sunday, they still look to be sitting third here. Rodgers has visited the Steelers and has been closely tied to the Vikings, who have him on hold for what could be an extended period. The Giants are not viewed as likely to sign Rodgers, but SI.com’s Albert Breer indicates their Jameis Winston addition would not preempt a deal with the four-time MVP.
This is similar to what emerged over the weekend, but Breer does stop short in confirming the Giants would have interest in adding Russell Wilson after the Winston signing. With the Browns potentially waiting on Kirk Cousins, Wilson may be waiting a while, Breer adds. Still eyeing a veteran — even if it is not Rodgers — the Vikings could conceivably loom as a landing spot. For now, however, they will evaluate J.J. McCarthy with their first-stringers during the offseason. The Steelers also loom as a Wilson landing spot, having placed him behind Rodgers in their QB hierarchy.
While Wilson is ready to sign somewhere, having visited the Giants and Browns, it is possible the potential Hall of Famer will need to prepare for an extended stay in free agency. Clearer pictures of teams’ depth charts will emerge post-draft, but that also opens the door to the possibility of teams filling their spots and being less interested in a surefire starter to block a prospect’s path. Then again, this is not viewed as a good quarterback draft.
The Giants did send a sizable contingent to Ward’s pro day Monday, with Breer adding Joe Schoen, assistant GM Brandon Brown, player personnel director Tim McDonnell, OC Mike Kafka, QBs coach Shea Tierney and tight ends coach Tim Kelly were on-hand. (The Hurricanes also have a higher-end tight end prospect in Elijah Arroyo.) Schoen and Tierney, however, were in Louisville today for Tyler Shough‘s pro day, Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline adds.
Shough has generated some recent buzz, having already scheduled visits with the Browns and Seahawks. The Giants would not seemingly be in play for Shough at No. 3, but they are not committed to taking a quarterback there. Some around the league view the Giants as in play to sign another veteran and draft a quarterback after No. 3 overall, per the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. Considering Schoen and Brian Daboll‘s tenuous job statuses, it would be an incredible gamble to leave the first round without a quarterback. But the team would — in the event the Titans go with Ward — be positioned to add either Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter at No. 3 if it stays put.
New York could also trade down from 3, and with either Hunter or Carter on the board, offers figure to come in during a draft that may well feature a talent drop-off after that duo. The Giants sliding down the board a bit could give them a chance to add assets — potentially for a QB in the 2026 draft — or select one of this class’ other QB prospects.
Linked closely to Shedeur Sanders, the Giants moving out of No. 3 could nix a partnership with the Colorado product. Though, the Browns have also been linked to Sanders at 2. The draft starting QB-QB would leave the Giants in an uncertain position. Moving down would open the door to Shough, Jaxson Dart or Quinn Ewers. Shough has created enough pre-draft noise to cause teams to circle back to the work they did on him during the season, Dunleavy adds.
Shough’s momentum aside, Daniel Jeremiah and Matt Miller‘s latest NFL.com and ESPN.com big boards respectively do not have the 2024 Louisville starter — a seven-year college athlete — in the top 50. Dart has received some first-round buzz, and he ranks 40th on Jeremiah’s big board and 43rd on Miller’s.
The Giants attempted to trade up for Drake Maye last year, but the Patriots declined a strong offer. Big Blue then passed on McCarthy, Michael Penix and Bo Nix. Miller ranked each member of that trio higher than Ward on a composite prospect rankings list earlier this month, running the risk of the Giants — as they did with Daniel Jones — choosing their QB in the wrong year. With Schoen and Daboll on hot seats, it would seem likely they leave Round 1 with a quarterback. If not, the team holds the No. 34 overall pick and two third-round choices.
As for the Giants’ other options if Rodgers says no, Wilson has now visited twice in two offseasons. The team also hosted Joe Flacco on a visit this month. Drew Lock, who played out a one-year Giants deal, remains in free agency as well. Plenty of moving parts still exist for the Giants, though they have not yet made a move that truly takes them out of the Rodgers running.